John Templeton Foundation funding – award holder perspective

In today’s blog, Boz Czarnecki, Proposal Development Executive at Edinburgh Research Office, talks to Dr Sarah Lane Ritchie and Professor Mark Harris about their recent project funded by the John Templeton Foundation (JTF) and their experience of applying to this funder. Sarah Lane Ritchie and Mark Harris investigate some of …

Thoughts on the UK Research and Development Roadmap

In today’s blog Sophie Lowry, Strategic Research Executive at Edinburgh Research Office writes about the UK Government’s Research and Development roadmap. It continues to be a busy year for research policy announcements. In early July, the UK Government released its long awaited Research and Development roadmap. This 60-page document upholds …

Adaptation & Renewal: Expertise in the time of Covid

This blog is a repost from the staff magazine – Bulletin from 28 July and examines how our researchers have been using their expertise to provide insight on the pandemic. Among the many things that the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown have brought is a certain metronomic quality to life. …

New ethics toolkit for Global Challenges Research

Today’s blog is a guest post by Dr Clara Calia, Deputy Director of Research Ethics & Integrity in the School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh, and introduces a new ethics toolkit for Global Challenges Research. Working with more than 200 researchers from around the world, my team …

The MSCA Individual Fellowship – award holder perspective

In today’s blog, Eirini Theofanidou, Proposal Development Executive (EU & International) talks to a researcher and her supervisor about the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Individual Fellowship. We hear about her motivation for applying, the benefits the fellowship has brought both researcher and supervisor, and the support they received from Edinburgh Research …

Adaptation & Renewal: Research and Innovation

Today’s blog is a repost from the staff magazine – Bulletin, from 14 July 2020 on our research during lockdown and the work of the Research and Innovation work stream. When lockdown began, our researchers stood up. Across the University, colleagues looked at their labs, their skill sets and their …

Integrating Gender Equality in Development Projects – A Practitioner’s View

Today’s blog is a guest post from Loise Maina, Global Gender Advisor at the international NGO Practical Action, and highlights the ways science and technology-based GCRF projects can consider gender equality in their design. GCRF, and other ODA projects, are required by law through the International Development (Gender Equality) Act …

Export Control: Implications for remote and blended teaching and research

In today’s blog, Alan Campbell, Research Integrity Manager in Edinburgh Research Office, explains the potential implications that the export control system has for remote and blended models of teaching and research in sensitive technologies. The UK Government’s export control regime is designed to prevent goods, technology and knowhow deemed sensitive …

What’s next for the UK research funding landscape?

In today’s blog, Sophie Lowry, Strategic Research Executive, rounds up some of the latest key developments in UK research funding, and explores what may be next for the UK research funding landscape. It’s hard to believe that it was just three months ago that the UK government announced its 2020 …

Postdoctoral EC-funded fellowship opportunity

In today’s blog, Dr Eirini Theofanidou, Proposal Development Executive, highlights the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions – Individual Fellowship, and the support provided by Edinburgh Research Office for applicants, including our information event on the 11 June. Did you know you can attract postdoctoral researchers with outstanding potential from around the world …

Establishing and developing a research network

Following on from last week’s blog on planning a centre’s research funding strategy, Jonathan Rans, Strategic Research Executive, now takes a look at research networks and introduces our new guide for University of Edinburgh Network Directors. We have a rich and varied research landscape at the University of Edinburgh, with …

Covid-19 update for academic and research staff

A message to our research community from Prof. Jonathan Seckl, Senior Vice-Principal and Dr. Lorna Thomson, Director of Edinburgh Research Office. Firstly, a note of thanks. To all who have shifted to home working, restructuring your research to desk-based studies, to those who are finding innovative ways to repurpose research …

Planning a centre’s research funding strategy

In today’s blog, Jonathan Rans, Strategic Research Executive, introduces our new research funding guide aimed at current and prospective Directors of research centres at the University of Edinburgh. Our research centres are a vital component in society’s response to ‘grand challenges’, complex intractable problems on a global scale. Centres are …

SFC-GCRF internal funding available for Covid-19 research

Dr Conor Snowden, International Development Research Manager, Edinburgh Research Office highlights internal funding available for University of Edinburgh researchers to help address the impact of Covid-19 on low and middle income countries. Covid-19 has been declared by the UN secretary general to be the greatest challenge the world faces since …

Support for our researchers during COVID-19

In today’s blog, Lorna Thomson, Director of Edinburgh Research Office, explains how we are continuing to support the research community during the ongoing COVID-19 situation. It’s been an intense and fast-moving couple of weeks. As we all find our feet with new working arrangements and routines, I would like to …

Introducing our new toolkit on the GCRF Gender Equality Statement

Today’s guest blogger is Dr Rosalind Cavaghan, independent academic consultant on gender equality. Working with Professor Fiona Mackay, Director of genderED, the University’s hub for the study of gender and sexuality, Dr Cavaghan has developed a toolkit to guide colleagues in developing a Gender Equality Statement as part of a …

The MRC Applied Global Health Research Board

In today’s blog, Nicholas Duvall, Research Development Officer shares insights from our recent event on the Medical Research Council’s new Applied Global Health Research Board, and highlights what research this new Board will fund and how you can apply. Edinburgh Research Office delivered an event about the Medical Research Council’s …

UKRI: Updated Pathways to Impact guidance

Anne Sofie Laegran, Head of Knowledge Exchange and Impact in Edinburgh Research Office, provides an update following the publication of UKRI Research Council specific guidance for how impact should be integrated into applications from 1 March. This post provides further updates following Anne Sofie’s post on 12 Feb. UKRI has …

Horizon 2020: post-Brexit update

You are still eligible for Horizon 2020 funding and, as a University, we have a high success rate, writes Jonathan Seckl, Vice-Principal Planning, Resources and Research Policy. Although the UK has now left the EU, we have entered the transition period which will continue until 31 December 2020. The terms …

Brexit and research data: What you need to do

Rena Gertz, the University’s Data Protection Officer, provides advice to researchers who receive data from European institutions. NOTE: THE INFORMATION AND LINKS INCLUDED IN THIS POST ARE CORRECT AS OF 5 FEBRUARY 2020. Key message With the UK having left the EU and the transitional period expiring on 31 December …

January 2020 update – impact of Brexit on EU funded research under Horizon 2020 (H2020)

Áine Ryan, Research Funding Manager (EU and International), provides the latest update regarding the impact of Brexit on Horizon 2020 funding. Researchers and businesses based in the UK can continue to participate in, bid for and lead projects (including ERC and MSCA-IF) in the European Union’s (EU) flagship programme Horizon …

Engaging with policymakers internationally

In this blog, Madeleine Beveridge, Knowledge Exchange and Impact Coordinator, shares learning and discussion points from our recent Knowledge Exchange Learning Lunch on Engaging with Policymakers Internationally.  We are lucky to have the Scottish Parliament, the Scottish Government, and Edinburgh City Council all within a bus journey of the University …

Official Development Assistance – What is ODA and how can you ensure research is compliant? Part 2

In today’s blog, Dr Conor Snowden, International Development Research Manager talks about the learning from his recent training event “Official Development Assistance – What is ODA and how can you ensure research is compliant?” We held an event on 17 December that looked in detail at Official Development Assistance (ODA) …

Writing a competitive proposal for a European Research Council Consolidator Grant

Dr Eirini Theofanidou, Proposal Development Executive (EU & International),  shares insights from our recent event about the European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator Grant and highlights how you can design a competitive proposal. The ERC Consolidator Grant overview and proposal development event was held on 2 December 2019. We provided an …

Official Development Assistance – What is ODA and how can you ensure research is compliant?

In today’s blog, Dr Conor Snowden, International Development Research Manager talks about ODA funding, and how our upcoming workshop can help you learn more about accessing this type of funding. It has now been five years since the launch of the Newton Fund and the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF).  …

Strategic Leadership in Research Programme 2020

The Strategic Leadership in Research Programme aims to equip researchers with the leadership skills, knowledge and behaviours required to win large-scale strategic funding. Find out more about the programme and how you can apply. The Strategic Leadership in Research Programme will run from April – October 2020 and will require …

Where to start with parliamentary and policy engagement

Today’s blog is a guest post from Harriet Barker, Impact and Knowledge Exchange Officer at the Scottish Centre for Administrative Research. In October I went along to ‘Parliament for Researchers’, a training event held across the UK run by the Parliamentary Office of Science & Technology (POST). The session started …

Transformative ambition – the EPSRC Programme Grant

In today’s blog, Nicholas Duvall, Research Development Officer, highlights the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Programme Grant. A Programme Grant from the EPSRC is one of the most prestigious research awards available in the disciplines within that council’s remit, which in addition to Engineering and Physical Sciences (EPS) …

Unpacking the Impact of International Development Research

In today’s blog, Isobel Marr, GCRF Project Officer talks about why Theory of Change, logframes and monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) frameworks are important tools in international development research and how you can learn more through an upcoming webinar series.  International development research has been gaining momentum in the UK, …